Namibia
A Tattered Landscape In the wake of reappearing Gods and Goddesses, many countries flourish once more with a renewed reverence to their deities alongside mankind's own tangible, technological progress. Some, however, fall into chaos and disarray as established governments war with radical cultists rising. Fever yet even acknowledge their return. It is with wide, open eyes that people have cast their gaze towards Namibia - a vast land already deeply entrenched in the harmony of advanced technology and celestial magic. The world thought with such a well-preserved and curried history, they could look upon their people as a means for guidance in the new world. They thought wrong. Namibia wasn't flourishing, Namibia was dying. Brief History The earliest years of Namibia's origins date back to the creation of Gaia during the time of Greater Gods. Among the offspring of Jasmine and Esmeralda came forth Lah'mit, the Goddess of the Weave. While her siblings took up residency in the higher realm and had temples built in the mortal realm as their anchor points, Lah'mit instead imbued a stretch of land with her own magic, shaping its land and giving rise to a wildly flourishing environment that attracted followers from all over the world. As time passed, her presence waned and thus her protection which invited chaos and conflict to their shores. Many despaired at their dying way of life and even more so disillusioned with the corruption turning their lands black and the people against each other. Lah'mit's children, the Sesimuj, rose and stopped the outside world from further damaging the last thing remembering their mother. They sealed off Namibia and begged with the deities to leave them alone, and for the most part they did. Except Grim. In his eyes, the sacrifice Lah'mit made was the same as Simone, and given the thrum of magic that permeated Namibia, the worst of his creatures sought the feast of magic left behind by the late Goddess. This was the unified banner of resistance the Sesimuj took to bring Namibia back on its feet - leading their followers against the onslaught Grim unleashed on Lah'mit's chosens. For centuries, the Sesimuj helped the people keep the Shadows under control but the rapid development of the outside world split their efforts in half. Eager to dip their fingers in the rich lands the Sesimuj cultivated and protected, many nations attempted to stake a claim on Namibia. Undeterred by offers of sanctuary and protection, Lah'mit's children knew it would only mean a loss of their culture and would wipe out what remained of their mother's will. But wars, as it would for any being no matter how holy or unholy, wore their spirits and souls until the people began to suffer from both Shadows and imperialistic countries. With seemingly no way out, the Sesimuj reached out to the gods for help only to have their pleas fall on deaf ears. Even they had forgotten Lah'mit. All, but one. Iqhwa answered her sister's children but instead of lending them aid, she brought to them a prophecy. "From the ashes of your beloved mother and my dear sister will rise a phoenix. She will challenge you, defy you, even make you doubt yourself. But she will stand firm and that is when you will know she has returned." When the child appeared, it was as the prophecy foretold. The Sesimuj finally rallied one more time together under a different banner this time, one that would pave way into reconnecting with the outside world. Language The primary language of Namibia is suleseu (pronounced "soo-leh-say-oo"), a language that has changed and morphed for several thousand years much like languages in modern society. While suleseu may be the central language, various dialects are found through each region and give rise to a much more robust communication network, creating some of the hardest codes to crack. Because they lack several consonants seen in most other major languages, hard sounds such as "k" or the hard "c" are rarely found in their vocabularies, though equivalents without direct translations exist. Linguists studying suleseu describe their hymn-like conversations as "flowing like the rivers of their land and wispy like the winds that breath life in the land." Unshaken Beliefs and Stability Namibia is one of the few countries that do not rely heavily on a coined currency due to its self-sufficiency, however in recent times have adopted a system to accommodate the influence of the outside world. Wealth in this land tends to go hand-in-hand with a person's merit and contributions, allowing those seemingly "less fortunate" to achieve a comfortable means of living while condemning those who practice cutthroat methods to fall from grace. This is in part influenced by the Sesimuj, who help keep those looking to usurp power out of their boundaries. Between being a hotspot for some of the most volatile Shadows and Silhouettes in the world as well as centuries of experience with outsiders being less-than-inviting, it is no small wonder the populace of Namibia is tightly knit and their bond is near unbreakable. Geography and Weather While Namibia wouldn't be considered large enough to constitute a continent in of itself, many people underestimate its sheer size and even more marvel at how much of its landscape remains hidden to the rest of the world. Topographical mappings of Namibia reveal much of it to be densely comprised of mountains while the south remains a barren desert due to the numerous wars waged in that region. A thin band of fertile land stretches from the southernmost tip of J'tauj to the westernmost border of Teshri, where a majority of the population lives in. Much of the weather in Namibia is heavily regulated by the mountain range lining the north, evident in the proliferation and spread of growth. Ntars, home of the White Guardians Governed by the Ninth Soul, Ntars is one of the most distinct locations in Namibia due to the region being nothing but jagged peaks snow capped year round. Tribes that live here are responsible for maintaining the treacherous routes winding the mountainsides and canyons, and even the best of guides have been lost at least once in the ranges. Despite being one of the smallest regions, the people there share a strong bond with the bi'rriu of J'tauj and the hunters of Yurnas and are wholly responsible for stopping multiple armies from invading the valley between Ntars and J'tauj. Cold-hardened and driven to survive, these inhabitants typically don thick furs while traveling and live in small groups scattered strategically throughout. Their homes are carved into the mountains in tunnels and small rings. The outermost tunnels are the living spaces, while the central rings comprise their stocks and most importantly their forges. Sunhouta ay Iqhwa, home of Sister Iqhwa Despite Lah'mit's adamance against structures dedicated to deities, the region of Mauve is the only known location on Gaia where the Goddess of Permaforst, Iqhwa, returns to frequently - or at least has her influence regularly observed. During the Nine Nights of Darkness, Iqhwa took the uninhabited island and at its heart erected a towering pillar of ice. It is here she rooted herself as a way of keeping an eye on her sister's people. The region of Mauve is also home to their daughter Mauve, and one of the few deities that actively reside in the mortal realm. Despite her constant presence, her influence is far less than that of either of her mothers' and she primarily acts as a gatekeeper for her only living parent. She is responsible for maintaining and carving out the space within the pillar, turning it into a worthy tribute to Lah'mit from the despair of Iqhwa. This is also the only known location in the world where some of the oldest relics in the world can be found, being Iqhwa's special lilies given to the people of Namibia when her sister fell. Access to Sunhouta is nigh impossible except when either Mauve or Iqhwa wishes it and remains shrouded in fog or a heavy blizzard. The three small islands to the north of Sunhouta hold a sparse number of villages and an even smaller number of people. They dedicate themselves to being Mauve's Biut, a separate group from the main people that follow Mauve's orders and only hers. Yatmules, the Sesimuj's Scorn The second largest and most prominent feature of Namibia is Yamules, the stretch of desert that spans from one side of the land to the other. It is divided in two regions, Jimith ''and ''A'ouha ''and governed by their respective Souls. In Namibia's early years, much of the populace lived in these regions as they were as fertile and lush as the thin band today that separates the land. However due to the inability to invade via the north, many countries took to sending their forces to Namibia's south in hopes of conquering the land. Centuries of repeated attempts resulted in a barren wasteland, twisted and morphed from spells burning scars into the land and technology rendering the soil devoid of any support for life. Those that live in ''Jimith scrape together a living in small homes carved into what remains of past wars. They rely heavily on the support of Hab'maas ''and work together with them to keep their ports secure. ''A'ouha suffered less casualties, however their cities have migrated from the center of the region closer to Mauve. Thanks to Mauve's Biut, their part in wars remained smaller compared to Jimith ''however their livelihoods are barely one step higher than their brother. Under the orders of Mauve, ''Biut provides support for A'ouha to maintain order and peace as the region struggles to find a new calling to support themselves and the main capital. Their cities retain some order of structure and civility, though much like Jimith, the people live according to the lay of the land. Bitter feelings and a general disdain of conflict ties these two regions together, and the Sesimuj allowed the two Souls to consider their lands forsakened. Nre'ym ay Remjal, Capital of Namibia, Remjal's Heart The second largest region of Namibia, if counting Yatmules ''as a whole, is ''Remjal, the region governed by the Second Soul of the Sesimuj. Carved by powerful winds and winding rivers, the landscape has since changed from being a high plateau to deep canyons and gorges where most of the denizens of Namibia live. Those living here use the most stable pillars as infrastructure and build bridges to connect to each other, resulting in a largely aeronautical system most civilizations rarely witness or employ. Despite seemingly primitive appearances and a lack of the advanced metals that marks a developed country, Namibia's superiority in using the land to their advantage rather than forcefully shaping it to meet their needs is evident in the main capital Nre'ym (pronounced "reh-yim"). It is here where the Sesimuj assemble to discuss plans moving forward and listen to the leaders of their followers. Where Remjal actually resides remains a mystery.